That's where I wonder how Vancouver rates so highly. All we hear on the news over the past few years is how local law enforcement mishandled the Stanley Cup riots last June, and several high profile crimes before that, including a mass murder case that continues to make headlines. The city also has massive tracts inhabited by the homeless, drug addicts and prostitutes. Those are of course issues in many (most?) cities, but Vancouver is one of the few I've been to where it's such a big part of the fabric of the city, and frankly, quite scary.

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One isolated riot that was relatively quickly contained and one mass murderer doesn't impact general quality of living indexes.

The Downtown East Side is really a very small area. There are other pockets of homelessness throughout the Vancouver area but they are relatively hidden from public view. The homeless here are largely an invisible population and most people who live here rarely give them a thought (sadly). There are beggars in your face in some parts of the city and beggars holding signs at major intersections. You just get used to it (again, sadly). The reason there are so many homeless here is that it's easier to live outside in Vancouver's climate than in the cold climates anywhere else in Canada - though poor social policy on the part of the provincial governments has exacerbated the problem (a third sadly).

I question why Vancouver is so high on the list because it's real estate prices are totally outrageous. Good for those who bought their home way back when or made half a million or more buying and selling real estate during the market boom. But everyone else pays a whole lot to live in what would be tiny shoebox space anywhere else in the country.

Yes, it's beautiful here. But it's cold and wet for 10 months of the year too. IMO Winnipeg offers far higher quality of life. Same is probably true of most other small Canadian cities.

I question why Vancouver is so high on the list because it's real estate prices are totally outrageous. Good for those who bought their home way back when or made half a million or more buying and selling real estate during the market boom. But everyone else pays a whole lot to live in what would be tiny shoebox space anywhere else in the country.

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This ranking doesn't take the cost of living into consideration.

It's not meant for the general public. Its target demographic is very high earners.

The Personal Safety Rankings are absurd. Four or five cities from the same city are clustered together, suggesting that extrinsic factors (such as the respective countries' international relations, as mentioned above) are given weight all out of proportion to their actual effects on personal safety in particular communities.

As for the Quality of Living rankings, I would only note that the food in Milan (#42) and Paris and San Francisco (joint #30) is miles better than the food in Vienna (#1), Munich (#4), and Amsterdam (#12).

The Personal Safety Rankings are absurd. Four or five cities from the same city are clustered together, suggesting that extrinsic factors (such as the respective countries' international relations, as mentioned above) are given weight all out of proportion to their actual effects on personal safety in particular communities.

As for the Quality of Living rankings, I would only note that the food in Milan (#19) and Paris and San Francisco (joint #30) is miles better than the food in Vienna (#1), Munich (#4), and Amsterdam (#12).

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Milan is 42nd, and the food might be good, but everything else is just crappy.

I'm not surprised American cities are so low on the list. Who wants to be indoctrinated with americanism. It'd make you sick.

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I lived in New York for three years, and loved every minute of it. Not once did the people of Manhattan make me feel like a foreigner, or try to preach "Americanism" to me. I felt entirely welcome there, and very, very safe living on my own.

For that matter, I work with many Americans and have spent time in many American cities, and I've never experienced anyone trying to "indoctrinate" me.

I have nothing but admiration for the American spirit, and although I am a proud Canadian, if immigration laws allowed it, I'd be living there now.

No - there is a complicated system of visas, and unless you work in a highly specialized field, it's a difficult process. You can visit all you want, and buy property as far as I know, but working there is another story.

No - there is a complicated system of visas, and unless you work in a highly specialized field, it's a difficult process. You can visit all you want, and buy property as far as I know, but working there is another story.

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Wow, what a joke. As if there are hordes of Canadians desperate to cross the border.

Wow, what a joke. As if there are hordes of Canadians desperate to cross the border.

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You'd be surprised. In my circle I can think eight Canadians off the top of my head living here in Michigan. Of course they are all associated with youth hockey (no surprise there ) so maybe that part of our culture is more saturated with Canadians than non-hockey people.

ETA - I also know at least a half dozen adult figure skaters who are not US born but who have been here for years and years, but that could be due to my close proximity to the University of Michigan.

Wow, what a joke. As if there are hordes of Canadians desperate to cross the border.

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Not sure what's so funny. The system is designed to prioritize Americans for American jobs, which I can see given ongoing challenges with unemployment, as is the case in many countries. Canada actually has policies (as does the US) to incentivize qualified professionals in many professions to stay at home rather than take jobs abroad - known as a country's "brain drain."

I was glad to have the opportunity to work in the US (and pay taxes I might add), but I can see why they wouldn't want to make it easy.

I like Windsor. Unfortunately, I haven't spent as much time there as an adult as I did before I turned 21 (um, for obvious reasons), but there used to be some awesome Chinese food there and a great little English-style pub. I'll have to Google and see if that's still there.

I don't want to offend any Austrians here, but I was in Vienna last month. The inner part is crowded and very expensive and the Austrians in general were not the friendliest people I've ever met, to put it mildly. I'd rather live in Washington than Vienna!

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I've been to Vienna and absolutely loved it. I recall people washing their sidewalks with soap there.

My parents were there just a few months ago and came back with rave reviews.

I'm not surprised American cities are so low on the list. Who wants to be indoctrinated with americanism. It'd make you sick.

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I visited the US for the first time this year and loved it. There was only one person I met who went on and on about the greatness of Denver...but he was a guide so that was his job

Visiting from Europe, I understood for the first time that there was some appeal in the 'American dream'. I never understood it before, but in the US there is space, modernity and convenience, and the people are friendly.

I don't think I'd want to live there, but appalling lack of social system, transport and healthcare aside, I do understand the appeal and I am surprised there aren't more cities on the list.

I tend to think there would be more on the 'liveable' list, though, which uses slightly different criteria...

I've been to Vienna and absolutely loved it. I recall people washing their sidewalks with soap there.

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Aw, you just want a conservative, orderly city after putting up with SanFran nutsiness all these years. (I was just working out and watching CNN see that toys in Happy Meals are now banned. Don't they have anything better to do?)

And I'm a proud, patriotic American lefty, joining with the rest of the Americans of whatever political persuasion. From some friends of my ex-husband who live there, I know New Zealand is not enamoured of the US in general. Somehow I don't think our diplomats are losing much sleep over that.

Aw, you just want a conservative, orderly city after putting up with SanFran nutsiness all these years. (I was just working out and watching CNN see that toys in Happy Meals are now banned. Don't they have anything better to do?)